SAN DIEGO —
CBS 8 is partnering with the San Diego Foundation and The Salvation Army to help those impacted by Monday's storm.
If you would like to help, you can donate to the San Diego Flood Response Fund. The San Diego Foundation will match donations up to $100,000. Money from the fund will only be directed to non-profits helping flood victims. The fund is not accepting any non-monetary donations at this time.
The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services is rallying to support San Diego’s First Responders and communities impacted by Monday’s storm. Their mission is to provide nourishment, shelter management, caseworkers, emotional and spiritual solace, and financial assistance. If you’d like to help, you can donate here.
Assistance for those impacted by the storm
San Diego County Local Assistance Center
More than 25 agencies are offering support in a central location to the families affected by the storm. The Local Assistance Center is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Sunday, Jan. 28 through Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Spring Valley County Library on 836 Kempton Street.
The Red Cross
- Click here for more information or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
- Red Cross volunteers and partners are currently operating the following shelter for those impacted by storms and flooding:
- Lincoln High School (4777 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92113). The San Diego Humane Society is also on-site to provide co-located sheltering for pets of those affected.
County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce
- CSDBCC will be providing grant funding and technical assistance to businesses affected by the recent flooding emergency in San Diego County’s District 4. Apply for grant funding and technical assistance through this Google Form. Additional information can be found here: https://sdblackchamber.org/.
Legal Aid Society of San Diego
- FAQ: What tenants and landlords need to know about flood-related damage to residential rental housing
- Contact information: https://www.lassd.org/ | (877) 534-2524
People's Association of Justice Advocates
County of San Diego - Vehicle removal and recycling
- County residents in unincorporated areas whose vehicles were impacted by the Jan. 22 storm and flooding can have their vehicles recycled for free.
- If you have a storm-damaged vehicle and would like the County to recycle the vehicle at no cost to you, please contact Gerardo Vargas at 619-507-2129 or by email at Gerardo.Vargas@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Property Tax Relief
- The San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk (ARCC) office has announced that property tax relief is available to any property owner whose home was damaged or destroyed in an amount greater than $10,000 by the recent rainstorms and flooding.
- Tax Relief claim forms are available by contacting the ARCC office at (619) 531-6130 or visiting www.sdarcc.gov.
- NOTE: Applications to receive the lower property tax rate must be filed within 12 months of the disaster event.
Emergency Response Grant for Small Businesses and Nonprofits
- The City of San Diego is providing emergency relief grants of up to $2,500 per applicant, with a 100% bonus (for a total of $5,000) for applicants located in the Promise Zone, Opportunity Zones, or Low-Moderate Income Census Tracts.
- Click here to find out more.
Ways to help
San Diego Foundation
- Flood Response Fund | Donations matched up to $100,000
The Salvation Army
GoFundMe | Verified relief fundraisers for San Diegans impacted by flooding
- For verified fundraisers, click here
Jackie Robinson YMCA Flood Donations
Red Cross
If you would like to volunteer to help flood victims, click here for more information.
San Diego County | Flood damage survey
San Diego County released a voluntary survey Tuesday to give residents impacted by Monday's storm a chance to report damage.
The survey will only be used to gather information to determine if the county should request state and/or federal assistance.
Completing the form does not guarantee any disaster relief assistance. Filling out the survey is not a substitution for filing a claim with your insurance.
Those who were impacted by the storm and need to talk to someone by phone about evacuations, shelters, road closures and other non-emergency disaster-related services may call 211. Those who are hearing impaired may dial 711 and ask to be connected to 858-300-1211.
For more information visit the San Diego Office of Emergency Services.
The survey can be accessed here.
Will auto insurance pay for rain-related damage?
CBS 8 spoke with Attorney Evan W. Walker, who has a lot of experience with flooding cases. He said regardless of why your car is now experiencing problems, you could be entitled to insurance money.
“In most cases, that should be covered under a person's auto comprehensive coverage,” Walker said. “When you’re looking at comprehensive coverage, liability – who’s at fault, who did something wrong – that really doesn’t come into play.”
His No. 1 tip? “Document, document, document,” he said emphatically. “Photograph it, videotape it, and then make the claim as soon as possible. What we see when there's a large catastrophe like this is a lot of claims are being made and the insurance companies are going to be overwhelmed, and you just become one number among many, so it's best to get that claim in as soon as you can.”
Insurance companies will only pay to fix your car up to a point. Once they determine the damage will cost more to fix than the vehicle is worth, they can total it out and give you a check for the value of your car. But that may not be as great of a deal for you as it sounds.
“What you are entitled to is a fair market value,” Walker said. “That may not be what you owe on a car and it may not be what you paid for the car, but that is the standard.”
Additional Resource Information
The Get it Done app can help you report blocked storm drains, potholes, and broken streetlights
Sign up for Alert San Diego notifications for all your telephone numbers
Report flooding to the City's emergency dispatch center at 619-527-7500
Report downed electrical lines or gas emergencies to San Diego Gas & Electric at 800-411-7343
ReadySanDiego.org has information on how to protect yourself and your property during a flooding situation
For more information on what to do during and after a storm, click here to be taken to the City of San Diego’s Storm Preparedness website.
Emergency Declarations
The storm prompted San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria to declare a state of emergency for the city due to the storm's impact. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday 4-0 to declare a county-wide local emergency in connection with Monday’s storm.
The emergency declaration will allow the county to pursue federal funding if needed. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday in San Diego and Ventura counties to help residents and businesses recover from Monday's storm damage.
Future storms: Sandbag locations
San Diego County Office of Emergency Services and ReadySanDiego.org reports that free sand and sandbags are available to residents and businesses throughout San Diego County at the following locations:
Watch: San Diego Storm | Drone video shows damage above neighborhoods (Jan 24, 2024)